


Hauntings

by monkeywand



Category: Ghost Whisperer
Genre: F/M, Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 15:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16558625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeywand/pseuds/monkeywand
Summary: Two ghosts need Melinda's help to stop a killer from killing again. But what is it about the way he kills so twisted?





	1. Chapter 1

Melinda Gordon walked through the town square of Grandview, coffee in hand. She passed a dark-skinned man trying to clean up the square.

"Morning, Frank," Melinda greeted. Frank growled as a piece of rubbish flew through his body. Melinda hid her smile and kept walking.

"Hello, Janet," she said to the postwoman nearby. Janet waved before disappearing as a couple walked through her. Melinda continued on, stopping for a car before walking into her antique shop,  _Same As It Never Was_.

"Morning, Delia," Melinda said happily to her friend and business partner. Delia finished unpacking a box of ancient china dolls and turned towards her boss.

"Well, someone seems awfully chirpy this morning," Delia commented. She brushed her long chestnut hair from her face.

"Was someone home last night?" Delia teased. Melinda glared at the older woman.

"For your information, Jim was home all of five minutes last night. He had the late shift at the firehouse," Melinda replied haughtily. Delia gave Melinda a look. "What?"

"No time for a quickie then?" Delia said slyly.

"Delia!" Melinda exclaimed, blushing red. A rattling of a bell above the door saved Melinda from any other embarrassing interrogations.

"Hi, Rick," Melinda said, turning round to greet the blond man entering the store.

"How do you do that?" Rick asked. "Do your ghosts tell you? Do you have ghosts watching the store?"

Professor Payne spun on the spot, looking wildly around the shop. He walked back over to the door and peered out to the square.

"Wait, you mean there are… ghosts out there in the square?" Delia asked, surprised.

"If by 'ghosts' you mean spirits, then yes," Melinda replied, enjoying riling Delia up. Rick turned away from the shop door as Delia glared at Melinda.

"It makes life more interesting though, doesn't it? Believing in the paranormal?" Rick pointed out. Delia looked between Melinda and Rick.

"Ooh, see, this is why I enjoy being a skeptic; no one can make fun of me," she said. Melinda laughed and sipped her coffee.

The door opened again, rattling the bell, and in walked an old woman. Melinda stood up, her mouth full of hot coffee.

"You finish your coffee," she ordered Melinda walking over to help the customer. Rick waved to the two women.

"I see you two are busy. Melinda, tell Jim that he owes me for the game last weekend. Oh and by the way, try not to get caught up in all the supernatural ghost-y stuff," Rick called. Melinda shot a look at Rick, then the old woman – but she hadn't seemed to have heard. As the professor left the shop, Melinda couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was amiss.

She looked up and stared outside. A figure stood, covered in dust and dirt, in the middle of the sidewalk. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, but any distinguishable characteristics were too distorted by the dirt to be seen clearly. The odd thing was that her hands were tied with an old red cloth, probably torn from a sheet or a tablecloth. The woman stared at Melinda for a few moments and then disappeared. She reappeared a split second later in front of Melinda.

"Help me," the spirit croaked, spitting out clumps of dirt as she spoke. Melinda stared at the spirit, watching the clumps of dirt form a pile on the shop floor. Casting a quick glance around, she opened to mouth to speak, but the figure was gone along with all the spilt earth. Melinda looked up to see Delia calling her name.

"Mel? Melinda, are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Melinda said. Delia waved away the apology.

"Don't be," she advised. Delia looked at Melinda suspiciously. "There was someone here, wasn't there?"

"Of course. You were just helping out a customer," Melinda half-fibbed, giving her an innocent look _._  Delia clicked her tongue impatiently.

"You know what I mean. Just because I don't really believe in ghosts or spirits or whatever you want to call them doesn't mean that I don't believe you see them," Delia told her friend. Melinda shrugged.

"There was another person here, if you could call them a person. She seemed to have been covered in dirt. A whole lot of dirt," she replied. She looked at the store's clock. Half past eleven.

"Actually do you mind if I go and see Jim? He wasn't home by the time I left," Melinda asked. Delia nodded.

"Of course. Just do one thing for me – actually, make that two things. One, cross over the ghost. I don't want her scaring away the customers. And two, can you please bring back one of those really nice scones with the jam and cream from  _Village Java_?" Delia replied, pleadingly. Melinda laughed.

"Sure. I'll be back soon," she promised. Melinda grabbed her purse, and then walked out of the shop.

"Have fun with Jim," Delia called out teasingly to Melinda's retreating back. Melinda ignored her friend and continued her search for the car keys. A quiet jingling sound indicated that her keys had slipped to the bottom of the purse; finding the keys, she opened the car door, hopped inside and shoved them into the ignition. A few seconds later, Melinda put the car into drive and drove home, hopefully to where the ghosts wouldn't be.

* * *

Melinda arrived home, pulling up behind Jim's car and parking her own. She then walked inside to find her husband sprawled out on the couch, asleep. Climbing on top of Jim , she kissed him gently on the mouth.

"Mm," Jim mumbled and opened his eyes, "I'm awake."

"Mm. I'm definitely awake," he said as she kissed him again. Melinda grinned and snuggled down into his embrace. She lay there, content just to listen to him breathe.

"I missed you this morning," Melinda said quietly after a moment had passed.

"Sorry, but there was an emergency at work. Some guy crashed his car – killed his girlfriend but walked out with only minor injuries," Jim informed her. He kissed her gently on the forehead, sweeping away her fringe.

"Ouch. Well, next time call or something 'cause I was..." Melinda broke off as Jim's lips met hers.

"You were babbling too much," he explained. Melinda tried to look angry but failed, making him laugh _._

"Anyway," Melinda continued, changing the subject, "I came home to see you."

"And…" Jim prompted.

"And what? There's nothing else," she added innocently, avoiding his eyes. Jim gave her a look.

"Come on, I know you better than that," he said before slowly running his fingers up and down her arms and down her back. She started to squirm, batting at his hands to stop him from tickling her.

"Okay, okay – I'll tell you. Stop it," she said with a pout before climbing off Jim and sitting on the coffee table. "There was a spirit at the shop. I don't know but I swear she had been buried while still conscious."

"Why's that?"

"Well, her hands were tied for one thing, and she kept on spitting out some kind of dirt or sand," Melinda broke off shuddering. Jim sat up and wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"Did you get a name?" he asked.

"That's the thing. Her mouth was full of dirt, and the spirit disappeared before I could talk to her," she replied. Melinda climbed back onto Jim's lap. Melinda's ringing phone interrupted the pair.

"Oops, I guess lunch break's over. Delia must want that jam scone pretty bad," she commented. Melinda shook her head as Jim gave her a confused look. She climbed off Jim and gave him a quick kiss goodbye.

"Bye. Love you," she called, walking out the door. She didn't hear the reply as the door shut behind her, but she could imagine it was something like, "Love you, too, and be careful."

Driving back to the shop, Melinda's phone began ringing again.

"Hey, Delia. Yeah, I'm sorry. I lost track of time...no! Not like that! ...what? Um, they should be in the back somewhere," Melinda paused and placed her hand upon her forehead as the world spun around her. 'Whoa,' she thought to herself.

Up ahead, a figure stood along the shoulder. Melinda slowed down, watching the figure stumble drunkenly down the road. Hearing the sound of the car, the figure looked up, frightened. Her eyes were slightly glazed, and as she saw Melinda, she disappeared.

A buzzing sound brought Melinda back to the present. Delia was still rambling on, unaware that she had stopped responding. Melinda forced herself to concentrate as the world spun again. She caught a movement out the corner of her eye- the girl from the side of the road was sitting in the passenger seat. She looked at the spirit through blurry eyes as they clasped their dizzy heads in unison.

All of a sudden, the girl disappeared again. Melinda faced forwards to see an on-coming car swerve and hit the side of her Jeep. Pain shot through her body as smoke slowly rose from where the two vehicles had collided.

"Mel? Melinda?" came Delia's faint voice from the phone as she blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

Jim watched his wife leave for work.

"Love you too and be careful," he called to her retreating back. Just as he closed his eyes, the phone rang. Jim sat up with annoyance.

"Jim Clancy speaking," he answered. "Oh, hi, Delia."

"Is Melinda there?"

"No. I thought she left to go back to work. Hang on, didn't you call before?" he asked.

"Yeah, but she cut out, so I thought she went back home."

"Do you want me to try her cell?" he asked.

"No, no. She might be at  _Village Java_. I'll just wait 'til she comes back here. Bye, Jim," Delia said before hanging up.

As soon as Jim placed down the receiver, it began to ring again.

"Jim Clancy speaking. Okay, I'm on my way. See you soon," he said before he dropped the receiver again and took off upstairs. So much for his nap. Two cars had collided and the fire department needed all hands on deck.

Barely ten minutes later, Jim arrived on scene. To his horror, one car looked suspiciously like Melinda's red Jeep. He ran up to the nearest paramedic.

"What happened, Bobby?" he asked breathlessly. Bobby turned to face him.

"The guy in the green car said the red Jeep swerved to the opposite side for no apparent reason," Bobby explained. "We got the guy out of the green car pretty easily, but the woman is still in the Jeep."

"Wait, woman?" Jim asked.

"The driver of the Jeep is a woman in her mid-to-late twenties," Bobby answered. Jim looked stricken.

"Melinda!" he cried, running to the red Jeep. Melinda lay slumped over the wheel, a nasty gash upon her left temple. Jim wrenched open the passenger's side door and attempted to unclick the seatbelt.

"Jim, wait!" Bobby called.

"I have to get her out of there!" Jim yelled in anguish.

"Watch the smoke," Bobby said, causing Jim to notice the smoke slowly rising from where the two cars had collided. Bobby passed Jim a pocketknife to help cut the seatbelt. Two quick slashes and the belt fell in pieces on the floor.

"Pass me a spinal board," Jim called. A yellow spinal board was passed through a broken window. Jim, with the help of Bobby, laid Melinda upon the board.

"Mmm," Melinda murmured, eyes fluttering behind closed lids.

"Hang on, honey. We'll be at the hospital soon," Jim reassured his wife. Melinda was passed out of the Jeep and into the ambulance, closely followed by Jim. An oxygen mask was slipped over her mouth and nose and an IV inserted into her left hand. The ambulance left the accident scene, sirens wailing as it sped off towards the hospital.

* * *

Jim lifted his head off the bed as someone knocked on the hospital door. Delia stuck her head inside the room.

"I came here as fast as I could. How's she doing?" she asked. Jim shook his head.

"Physically, she's fine. Just a few bumps and bruises. She may have concussion, but the doctors don't know because she hasn't woken up yet," Jim explained. Jim and Delia both turned to look at Melinda as she stirred, one hand unconsciously trying to remove the oxygen mask.

"Sorry honey but that has to stay on," Jim told his wife, resetting the oxygen mask.

"Jim?" Melinda asked groggily, looking at Jim.

"It's me," he said.

"I'll go get the doctor," Delia suggested, walking back out the door.

"What happened?" Melinda asked.

"Don't you remember?" Jim looked concerned. Melinda thought back to the accident.

"I remember seeing someone stumbling along the side of the road. I turned to look but then she disappeared then reappeared in the car next to me. Everything was spinning and I felt really dizzy and sick, like I'd been drugged or something," Melinda recounted.

"Good to see you're awake," a husky voice interrupted. The voice belonged to a middle aged doctor who was currently reading the chart at the end of Melinda's bed. He walked over and began to shine a light into Melinda's eyes.

"Can you tell me your name?" he asked.

"Melinda Gordon," Melinda replied.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"I remember feeling dizzy and sick, then I remember seeing a car coming towards me and I tried to swerve. Next thing I remember is waking up, hearing Jim, then waking up here," Melinda recounted again, except this time leaving out the parts about the ghostly girl. The doctor flicked off his light.

"Looks like there are no signs of concussion, but we can't rule it out completely. We'll need to keep you here for a twenty-four hour observation, but you'll be able to leave in the morning," the doctor said before turning to Jim. "Melinda will need to take it easy, but I see no reason why she shouldn't be allowed to return to work after a few days' rest."

Melinda grimaced, and Jim hid a smile. He knew how much she hated hospitals.

"Actually, doc, would I be able to look after Mel at home? It's just that she hates hospitals and I can make sure she rests," Jim suggested. The doctor looked thoughtful.

"I don't see why that would be a problem, but she'll still need to stay here for the twenty-four hour period. Any sign that something is not right and you'll be straight back here, got it?" he said, turning to face Melinda. She nodded meekly. With a wave of his hand, the doctor left.

Melinda sighed. She was hoping to leave straight away and deal with the two ghosts, but she decided they would have to wait until she was out of hospital.

* * *

Melinda was half asleep, aware that her husband was sleeping in a hard, plastic hospital chair in the corner of the room. Unbeknownst to either of them, another presence entered the room. Melinda could feel something on her chest, getting heavier by the minute. She looked down to dirt was being thrown onto her body, covering it. She tried to move but found her hands were bound with an old red cloth. She opened her mouth to scream but found it filled with dirt. Melinda coughed, trying not to inhale the soil.

Jim awoke to see his wife struggling to move and breathe. Jumping up, he moved closer to the hospital bed and tried to wake her up. Melinda struggled against the touch of Jim's hands. She coughed again, a dry, raspy sound.

"Mel, it's just me. Melinda! Shh, it's gonna be all right," Jim reassured his wife. Melinda's eyes flashed open and her struggles ceased. Jim helped her sit up before handing her a glass of water. He tried to look into her eyes, but she was watching something or someone else in the room.

"Is that what happened to you?" Melinda asked the dirt-covered spirit. The woman nodded from where she stood at the end of the hospital bed. "Do you remember anything else? Like a name perhaps?"

"Mackenzie. Mackenzie Fitzpatrick," she rasped after a pause/moment, spitting clumps of dirt onto the floor. Mackenzie disappeared, taking the dirt with her. The door creaked open.

"Sorry if I woke you," a nurse said, coming in to check on her patient.

"Hmm," she murmured, looking at several machines. "Are you feeling all right?"

Melinda looked surprise. "Yeah. Why?" she asked.

"Your heartbeat is unusually fast," the nurse explained. Melinda looked at Jim for help.

"Mel was having a 'nightmare'," Jim replied, emphasizing the word 'nightmare'. Melinda understood that he knew what really happened, even if he didn't understand what it was about. The nurse finished what she was doing and walked back out the room.

"Buzz if you need anything, otherwise I'll see you in the morning," she called before shutting the door. An awkward silence filled the room as neither Jim nor Melinda spoke.

"Mackenzie Fitzpatrick. The first ghost's name was Mackenzie Fitzpatrick," Melinda spoke after a few minutes. "I know how she died. Someone buried her alive. Eventually she suffocated."

Melinda shuddered, and Jim wrapped his arms around her.

"Now we know who she is and how she died, but do we know why?" he asked. Melinda shook her head.

"The nurse scared her off before I could ask her anything," she said with a wry grin. The couple stayed in each other's arms until they fell asleep.

* * *

Jim signed the release forms as an impatient Melinda sat on a hard plastic chair in the waiting area.

"I don't see why you have to watch my every move," she grumbled. Jim just smiled and passed the pen back to the receptionist with exaggerated slowness. Melinda growled and stood up, making him laugh.

"Okay, okay. Let's go home," he said. He linked arms with Melinda, and side-by-side they walked out to where his jeep was parked. He held open the passenger side door for her and waited until she was strapped in before heading back around to start up the car.

A short drive later, they pulled into the driveway to see Delia, Ned and Rick waiting on the front porch.

"Hi, guys," Melinda called, literally bouncing out of the car once it was motionless.

"Hey, Melinda. How are you doing?" Delia asked.

"I'm fine, but someone over here doesn't believe me," Melinda answered, glaring at Jim. Jim ignored the look.

"The doctor said she had to take it easy," Jim explained. Rick walked over to give Melinda a hug.

"I came to see if you needed any help but found help already here," Rick said waving a hand at Delia and Ned. Delia's watch beeped.

"Oops, I gotta grab some stuff for Ned's basketball game, but I'll see you later, okay?" she asked. Ned gave Melinda a hug and followed his mother to their car.

"So, what happened?" Rick asked as he, Melinda, and Jim walked inside.

"Wow. I feel like that's all I get asked – that and 'Are you okay?'" Melinda commented.

"Sorry," Rick and Jim apologized. Melinda sat down on the couch and waved for Rick to do the same.

"Actually, I have a question to ask you," Melinda said to him.

"One that's not going to involve ghosts, spirits, or the supernatural?" Rick asked.

"Fine. If you don't want to hear then you are welcome to leave," she quipped.

"No, no, no. I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"It's about the two ghosts I saw yesterday. One looked to have been buried alive, and the other like she'd been drugged. The second one I saw just before the accident yesterday," Melinda explained.

"And?" Rick interrupted.

"I'm getting to that part," Melinda pointed out.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"From what I could see neither of them looked to be related, but the unusual thing was that they both wore this black braided collar around their necks, like they belonged to some sort of cult or something," Melinda continued.

"Black braided collar..." Rick mused. "I'll look it up, but I think an older tribe used to weave reeds into a sort of collar for the women to show them who was boss."

"I have an ever growing class of about six to teach now but knowing me, I'm probably going to end up teaching them about ancient tribes and slavery collars," he quipped as he stood.

"What are you supposed to be teaching them?" Melinda asked curiously, staying where she was on the couch.

"Ghosts, spirits, poltergeists, and how they can affect objects both living and inanimate around them," Rick replied.

"Sorry I asked," Melinda said, pulling a face.

Rick left just as Jim walked in with a mug of hot green tea for Melinda. He sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him. Melinda shuffled over and leaned into Jim.

"When I go back to work tomorrow..." Melinda started.

"Oh, no, no going back to work – you just got out of the hospital," Jim interrupted.

"I'm fine. Besides, the day I was in the hospital was the most boring week of my life," Melinda protested.

"Boredom is underrated," he said.

"Boredom is boring, and you can't stop me, so don't even try," Melinda pointed out.

"Three days a week," Jim offered.

"No."

"Half-days. That's my final offer."

"Or what?" Melinda challenged. Jim thought about it for a moment.

"Or I will withhold my husbandly attention," he answered. Melinda pretended to look horrified.

"You don't mean that," she said.

"Give me strength," Jim prayed, and she gave up.

"You don't mean that," she sighed. "All right, fine. Half-days."

"Ah, she gives in to my superior will," Jim said with a smile. Melinda stood up and grabbed Jim's car keys.

"Yeah, but my first half-day starts today," she said, walking out the front door.


	3. Chapter 3

The door opened, rattling the brass bell above the door of  _Same As It Never Was_.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Delia called from the back of the shop. She popped her head around the open double doors.

"Melinda, hi. I didn't expect you to be at work today. I thought Jim was going to keep you at home for a couple of days," she said, surprised.

"Hi, Delia. Hi, Ned," Melinda greeted as Ned walked out from the back room after his mother. "He tried, but I convinced him to let me go back to work. Speaking of which, how did you rope Ned into all of this?"

"Mom promised me I could go to a concert with Jennifer, only if I would come in and help while you weren't here. But since you are here, I don't have to be," he said, looking at Delia meaningfully.

"Nuh-uh mister," Delia answered. "You can stay and help for the rest of the day."

Melinda laughed at the sight of Ned's face.

"Don't worry, Ned. I won't work you too hard," she promised. "Unlike your mother."

"Hey!" exclaimed Delia. Ned and Melinda laughed.

Lunch passed without any major events or dramas happening. Ned cleaned the store's windows while Delia and Melinda, in between serving customers, unpacked the new stock that had arrived when Melinda was in hospital.

"This is the last of the boxes," Melinda said, walking into the main store area. She held up two empty boxes and proceeded to fold them for recycling. Delia placed the last photo frame on the shelf as an old couple walked through the door.

"Can I help you?" Delia asked politely. The couple shook their heads.

"We're just looking, thanks," the man replied. Melinda dropped the boxes she was folding and grabbed a hold of the counter top, placing a hand on her stomach.

"Who are you?" Melinda whispered as she noticed the drugged woman from the side of the road. The spirit ignored Melinda and continued to stumble drunkenly around the shop. She knocked a pillow and a glass vase with freshly picked flowers to the floor. Delia, oblivious to the spirit wreaking havoc, continued to serve the old couple.

Every step the spirit took, made Melinda dizzier and more nauseous. Melinda's vision clouded over and she slumped to the floor with a thump. After saying goodbye to the old couple, Delia looked over to where Melinda previously stood, where she found her friend lying on the floor.

"Melinda! Ned, go and get Jim. He should be at the firehouse," Delia ordered. Ned took off out of the shop and towards the firehouse.

"Jim! Jim!" he yelled. Ned saw Jim step out from behind a firetruck.

"Melinda's fainted," he continued breathlessly. Jim grabbed his medical bag and together they raced across the square to Melinda's antique shop. Jim arrived to see Melinda sitting on the couch, looking no worse for wear.

"Melinda," he said, some of the worry showing in his voice. He crouched down to be face to face with her. "What happened?"

"The same ghost from the accident was back," Melinda answered simply. "Tilly, I think she said her name was. She looked like she was looking for something, but I don't think she knew what it was. She kept on walking into things, going around in circles but never getting anywhere."

Melinda looked up to see that someone else had joined the group.

"Mackenzie's back," warned Melinda in a low voice. Delia and Ned both looked around while Jim stayed where he was.

"Do you remember anything more?" Melinda asked. Mackenzie's hands were still bound, but there was less dirt covering her now.

"It…it was dark. I remember a man's voice and the scrape of a tray being pushed along the ground. I remember screaming, but I knew it was no use. The walls were soundproof," Mackenzie said reproachfully.

"Mackenzie said the walls were soundproof," Melinda translated.

"I don't know how long I was there but..."

"...but she remembers eating and then waking up, feeling cold and damp."

"I..."

"She couldn't move. Her hands were bound and a black, braided collar was choking her," Melinda finished. Just then Melinda's phone began ringing.

"Hello? Hi, Rick. What? Thank you. I'll be there soon," she said. Jim coughed loudly. Melinda rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she mouthed to Jim. "Can you come round tonight then?"

Rick made a comment that caused Melinda to glare at the phone.

"All right, fine. See you then. Bye," she said, hanging up.

"Rick found the meaning behind the black braided collars. He said, though, that he won't tell us 'til tonight," Melinda explained to both alive and dead people. Mackenzie nodded silently then disappeared.

"Figures," muttered Delia. Jim closed his bag with a snap.

"I have to go back to work, but, Delia, can you make sure Mel gets home safely?" Jim asked.

"Of course," replied Delia. Melinda threw up her hands.

"What am I? An imbecile? I'll be fine," Melinda grumbled.

"Delia?" Jim pressed.

"She'll be fine, I promise," Delia said. Jim left with a kiss for Melinda and a wave for Ned and Delia. As soon as Jim left, Delia clapped her hands.

"Home time," she said. "Ned, switch off the lights while I lock up. Mel, you stay put."

'Hopefully it won't be as bad tomorrow,' Melinda thought with a frown, waiting on the couch.

* * *

That night, Melinda placed the last of the salad into a bowl. She threw in a couple of cherry tomatoes, then carried the bowl into the dining room where Jim was placing plates and forks. Melinda did a double take.

"Wait, there are three places set. Who else is coming?" Melinda asked. Jim pretended to lock his lips and throw away the key.

"That would ruin the surprise now, wouldn't it?" Jim teased. Melinda pouted and wrapped her arms around Jim's body.

"Please?" she begged, fluttering she eyelashes at him.

"Nope. Now, do you want to get changed first or shall I?" Jim asked, gesturing upstairs. Melinda didn't hesitate.

"Race you," she challenged, running up the stairs. He took off after her, catching her at the top of the landing. Melinda squealed and shimmied out of Jim's grasp.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked in mock-anger before laughing. Jim looked at the clock.

"He's not going to be here for..." Jim cursed; he wasn't supposed to say that. Melinda's face lit up.

"He – you said he," she cried gleefully. Melinda thought for a second. "Rick. But I told him to come here after dinner...unless you called him to say come to dinner. So that's why you were up here being all secretive on the phone."

Jim sighed then sat down.

"Yes, and it was supposed to be a surprise," he said. Melinda climbed onto the bed and over to where Jim was sitting. She leant in and kissed him on the lips.

"It was a good surprise while it lasted," Melinda whispered seductively. Jim kissed Melinda back more forcefully.

"Well, if you don't mind not having long to get ready..." Jim started to tug at Melinda's shirt. "I'll help you get changed..."

* * *

Melinda sat on the couch flipping through a magazine. Jim, after pouring a drink for Melinda and himself, checked on the lasagna in the oven. Mackenzie, who had appeared when Jim walked into the kitchen, peered over Melinda's shoulder.

"Those are nice shoes," she commented. Her hands were no longer bound but she was still dirt-smudged. Melinda grinned and continued flipping through the magazine.

"Dinner's done," he said, coming into the living room carrying two glasses. Melinda thanked him with a kiss. Then a knock at the door caused Melinda and Jim to look at each other.

"You get it, honey," Jim offered. Melinda stood up only to fall back down again. Jim's face flashed concern.

"I'm all right," Melinda said, waving a hand at Jim. She breathed in deeply.

"Tilly has decided to drop by," she explained. Someone knocked on the door again, this time more forcefully. "You better get that."

Jim glanced back at Melinda before going to let an impatient Professor Payne inside.

"You have to stop this," Melinda hissed to Tilly. "I can't help if you keep making me feel like this."

Melinda's dizziness subsided slightly as Tilly disappeared. Jim and Rick walked into the room to see Melinda having a seemingly one-side conversation. Melinda turned towards the two men.

"Hi Rick," she greeted eagerly. "So, did you find anything about the black, braided collars?"

"Don't be any more subtle," Rick commented, looking slightly taken aback. Melinda made a face.

She waited a moment then asked, "So? Did you?"

"Well, there is some really interesting history behind those collars. For example, an ancient tribe in the early ages used them as a sign of slavery for their servants. There was actually a man who still had an original braided collar that his great, great grandfather wore..." he said, starting on a tangent.

"Rick," Melinda said quietly.

"Right, sorry. So, they were used as signs of slavery – except different colors actually represented the different statuses among the slaves. Brown was for the everyday slaves, red for the sex slaves, blue for the cook slaves, and black...black was for the slaves condemned to death. These were slaves who usually angered their masters and mistresses," Rick continued. Melinda and Jim shared a look.

"So, why would our killer be using these slave collars?" Jim mused.

"Mackenzie said something about being kept in confinement for a period of time before food was handed out – which was most likely drugged since that is the last thing she remembers before dying," Melinda explained.

"Another thing this tribe liked was fancy deaths. The more horrible, the better – so someone who died in a fire was higher ranked then, say, someone who died in their sleep," Rick said, mistaking the look of disgust on the couple's face for one of fascination.

"But that still doesn't explain why," Jim said.

"Maybe it's not 'why is he using the collars' – maybe it's 'why is he killing in the first place'," Rick wondered.

"I think I can answer that," another voice replied.


	4. Chapter 4

"Who are you?" Melinda asked the newcomer. The woman was a lithe blond, her large gray eyes framed by honey blond bangs.

"Ask your husband. He was the one who pulled my body from the car accident my boyfriend supposedly caused," the ghost woman replied. Jim and Rick were still looking at Melinda for an explanation. She ignored them.

"So your boyfriend didn't cause the accident, then?" Melinda asked, confused. "I thought he was driving."

"Oh, yes, he was, but it was my husband who caused the accident. He didn't like it when I walked out on him for a younger guy," the woman said, inspecting her immaculate nails. She disappeared as abruptly as she had appeared. Rick and Jim still looked confused.

"Honey, what exactly happened in the accident with the man who killed his girlfriend but only walked out with minor injuries?" Melinda asked her silent husband. Jim shook his head to clear it.

"The couple in the car swerved into a tree. The woman, I think her name was Chloe, died instantly, but her boyfriend only ended up with a scratch," he explained.

"Do you know why they swerved?" Melinda asked, persistent.

"Forensics aren't sure, but the boyfriend swears it was another car that caused the accident. Only thing is, no other evidence can be found," Jim said, then paused. "But what has this got to do with the collars?"

Melinda sighed before explaining, "Chloe was here. Turns out it was actually her ex-husband who caused the crash. She said he was really possessive and didn't like the fact that Chloe had moved on with another man."

"Well, I would too, if the woman I loved moved on with another man," Rick pointed out.

"Anyway, he followed her and cut in front of the car she and her boyfriend were in. They swerved and crashed. He drove off leaving Chloe for dead," Melinda continued.

"Do you know who the ex-husband is?" Rick asked.

"Chloe didn't say..." Melinda started. She reached for her laptop, which was quietly charging on the coffee table. Powering up the net, Melinda typed in 'car crash + Chloe' into the Penthius search site. A dozen hits popped up, and Melinda clicked on the first. Four photos flashed into view: one of the scene of the accident, one of Chloe, and the other two presumably to be her ex-husband and her boyfriend. Mackenzie peered at the screen over Melinda's shoulder.

"That's him," Mackenzie said, pointing at the screen. "That's the guy who kidnapped me."

"Deklan Peirce," Melinda read out. Jim and Rick, oblivious to the ghost, crowded behind Melinda. Rick's shoulder accidentally rammed through Mackenzie's side.

"Hey! Watch it, buddy," she exclaimed. Melinda bit back a laugh.

"Well, obviously Chloe cared about Deklan enough not to want him to go to jail," Jim pointed out. Melinda, oblivious to the two men talking, clicked on another link. A detailed description of Deklan Peirce and his life popped up.

"Deklan Peirce, famous for his speeches on ancient slavery laws and historical violent deaths such as burnings, drownings, hangings and decapitations," Melinda read out. She made a face. "Sounds like we have our guy."

A timer went off, making all three living people jump.

"Sounds like dinner is well done," Rick commented. Melinda and Jim rolled their eyes. Jim stood up and walked into the kitchen while Melinda flicked the screen of the laptop shut.

"Shall we?" Rick asked, holding out his arm. Melinda took the offered limb, and together they followed Jim to dinner.

* * *

Melinda tossed and turned in her sleep, a look of pain etched onto he face.

_The air is thick with smoke. Flames lick at the walls of an abandoned warehouse, making the gray paint blister and pop. A faint coughing can be heard from the corner of the room. A woman lay there, hands tied behind her back, curled up in the fetal position._

" _Help me," she croaks, hoping someone will hear her. Glass explodes, causing the woman to duck further behind a metal shelving unit. Taking care not to touch the hot metal, she hopes it will save her from the worst of the flames._

_Somewhere in another part of the building, the fire explodes after coming in contact with tins full of paint and oil. Mere seconds pass before a second part of the warehouse explodes and collapses. The fire has found its fuel – two-gallon drums of diesel. The last thing the woman remembers is the heat as the metal shelving unit collapses, trapping her. The last thing the world hears of the woman is a long, low scream. It ends abruptly. The woman is dead._

Melinda sat up, her heart pounding loudly. She breathed in deeply, trying to rid her mind of the horrifying images. She realized someone was whispering. Melinda turned around to see Jim sitting beside her, one arm around her body, the other stroking her hair.

"Shh," he whispered, hoping to soothe his distraught wife. "It's all right, Mel."

Melinda relaxed into Jim's embrace. She whispered into his shoulder, "I'm glad I have someone looking out for me."

"I'm just looking after  _me_ ," Jim joked. "You punch really hard during those bad dreams."

Melinda lightly punched Jim's arm. Her face grew sober as she said, "Except I'm not really sure that was a bad dream. It felt too real."

The phone rang before Jim could query why.

"Jim Clancy speaking," he answered, then paused. "I'm on my way."

He hung up the phone and looked at Melinda.

"There's been an emergency. A warehouse downtown is on fire. Two people already have smoke inhalation," he explained. A look of horror crossed Melinda's face.

"I'm coming with you," she said immediately. "A warehouse was on fire in my dream, and if it really was a vision then someone might die."

Jim accepted this without a second thought; he knew when to step back and let his wife do her job.

Minutes later the couple pulled up at the burning warehouse. Firemen holding giant hoses were trying to douse the fire without much success. Jim donned his protective gear.

"Stay here," he ordered Melinda, then he kissed her on the lips. Melinda nodded and stepped back. She watched as her husband rushed off to save others.

"There's someone trapped in there. A woman," Mackenzie said , appearing next to Melinda.

"I know, but I don't know where. Plus I can't get to her," Melinda replied.

"I know where she is. I'll go and get her," the spirit volunteered. Melinda gave a small smile.

"One problem though: she can't see you," Melinda pointed out. Mackenzie's face fell.

"But, if you tell me, I can get my husband to find her," Melinda said quickly.

"Jim," she shouted to be heard over the crackling of the flames. Jim came running over to Melinda.

"Where is she?" Melinda asked the supposedly empty air.

"She's in the back building, behind the third metal shelving unit," Mackenzie replied.

"There's a woman trapped in the back building, behind the third metal shelving unit," Melinda translated. Glass shattered from the windows above, forcing everyone to duck. Melinda remembered back to her vision. Not long after the glass exploded, the whole building started to collapse. "There's also drums full of diesel and paint in the other rooms. Hurry."

Jim nodded and ran back towards the burning building.

"There's diesel and paint in the other rooms," he yelled before running inside. Inside, the building was hotter than an oven.

"Hello?" he cried.

"Hello?" called the others behind him. Jim held up his hand for silence. Coughing could be heard from behind one of the metal shelving units.

"There," he pointed. They lifted the shelves out of the way to reveal a woman, tied up and lying in the fetal position. Jim held two fingers to her wrist.

"She has a pulse," he called. They cut the woman's bonds before placing her on spinal board and hauling her out of the burning building. Jim scanned the room out of habit before following the others.

Outside, Melinda and Mackenzie watched as the unconscious woman was pulled free.

"They haven't stopped the fire getting to the paint tins," Mackenzie commented worriedly. Melinda looked up in horror and shock. 'Jim's still in there,' she thought.

"Jim!" she screamed, trying to be heard over the roar of the fire. The building exploded before she could get the word fully formed. Melinda held her hands to her mouth.

"Jim!" she screamed again. "No!"

* * *

The metal beams of the roof began to groan from the heat.

"Jim, hurry up! Gary reckons the roof is going to fall," Bobby called. Jim nodded and scanned the room; everyone was out – except for him. The roof groaned again and pieces fell to the ground only to be eaten up by the flickering flames.

'Five steps,' Jim thought. 'Five steps, then I'll be out of here and with Melinda.'

He began to count the steps. One. He stepped over a fallen beam.

Two. Past the melted plastic of chairs.

Three. Only two steps to go.

Four. The roof creaked loudly, and something exploded.

Fi... Jim felt something heavy fall against his shoulders and a searing pain run down his back.

'Melinda,' he thought before it all went black.


	5. Chapter 5

****Melinda watched in horror as the burning warehouse exploded. Flaming debris flew past the firefighters, landing in smoldering heaps on the ground.

"Jim!" Melinda screamed again. A deadly silence filled the air, and everyone froze in shock. Two firefighters ran inside looking for anyone still alive. Melinda started forward, hoping Jim wasn't caught in the last explosion. A minute later, the two firefighters returned, a body strapped to a stretcher between them. Melinda ran over to Bobby, who was waiting in an ambulance.

"Melinda, Jim wasn't caught in the explosion, but he was knocked down by a fallen roof beam. It kept him low enough not to be affected by the explosion," Bobby explained, seeing the look on Melinda's face.

"How bad is it?" Melinda asked fearfully.

"We won't know until he's checked properly at the hospital," Bobby said, as Jim was loaded into the back of the ambulance. Melinda slipped in beside her husband, holding his large hand in her smaller ones.

* * *

Melinda sat on a hard plastic chair in the waiting area of Mercy Hospital. Delia walked in, two bagels in hand.

"Here. Something to keep your strength up," she said. Delia handed Melinda her bagel, which she accepted gratefully. She took a small bite, savoring the taste in her mouth. "How is he?"

"The doctors are looking at him now," Melinda explained, her voiced strained. A door banged and footsteps echoed along the hall. A man in a white coat stopped in front of the two women.

"Ms. Gordon?" he asked. Melinda stood up, worry apparent on her face. "Your husband was hit by a falling roof beam at the base of his skull. He may suffer from a mild concussion, but otherwise, apart from a few bumps and bruises, physically and mentally he is fine. We would like to keep him overnight for observation, but he should be all right to go home in the morning."

Melinda breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Doctor..." she stopped, realizing she didn't know the doctor's name.

"Maverick," Dr. Maverick filled in.

"Thank you, Dr. Maverick," Melinda repeated. "Can I go in and see him?"

Dr. Maverick nodded. Melinda stopped at the doorway and looked back at Delia, giving her a questioning look. Delia shook her head.

"You go ahead – I'll wait out here," Delia said as she waved her hand at Melinda, shooing her to go into the room.

Melinda stepped quietly into the room. Her husband lie upon the hospital bed, an IV connected to one hand, looking quite a sight. A nasty-looking bruise bloomed across one side of his neck while steri-strips covered a small gash upon his forehead.

Jim's eyes fluttered as Melinda sat down on the only chair in the room. She wrapped both her hands around one of his, the one not connected to any machines. Jim's eyes opened. They darted around the room, not focusing on anything in particular before coming to a rest on Melinda.

"Melinda?" he croaked. Unlike Melinda, Jim didn't try to remove the oxygen mask; instead he coughed and tried again.

"Mel? What happened?" he asked, confused.

"Don't you remember?" Melinda asked. Jim thought back to the accident.

"I remember...I remember a fire. A girl was trapped..." he mumbled. "I could hear glass exploding, and we ran in to save the girl. I was the last to leave the building and..."

Jim stopped, furiously trying to remember.

"A beam fell from the roof and caught you on the back of the neck," Melinda filled in. "The doctor says you may suffer from a concussion and neck pain. You also breathed in a lot of smoke."

"So, that means you'll have to take it easy," Dr. Maverick said, walking into the room. "So no work and plenty of rest for at least a couple of days."

Melinda hid a guilty look. She hadn't exactly followed the rules when she came out of hospital a few days ago. She looked up to see that the doctor, after checking on Jim, had left the room again. She turned to Jim.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked, concerned. Jim gave Melinda a look.

"So, the roles are reversed now," Jim joked, referring to how he would be the one always asking how Melinda was. They both laughed. A knock at the door punctuated the couple's mirth.

"Can I come in?" Delia asked. "I brought coffee."

Melinda stood up and walked over to her friend and business partner, hands outstretched. Delia laughed as Melinda took a sip, her eyes closed. She looked Jim.

"Sorry, Jim," Delia apologized, gesturing to the cups of coffee. Jim just shook his head. A comfortable silence filled the room.

"What a couple you two make," Delia commented. "Both ending up in hospital within just days of each other."

Melinda stuck her tongue out at Delia while Jim just laughed.

"She's here," another voice said. Melinda looked over to the door.

"The girl from the fire," Mackenzie explained. Melinda, torn, looked back at Jim, who was watching her intently.

"Go," he advised seriously, guessing what had just taken place. Relief washed over Melinda's face guiltily.

"Thanks, honey," she said with a smile. She walked out of the room, glancing backwards for a spilt second before following Mackenzie down the hall.

* * *

Melinda rapped lightly on the open door, the noise echoing softly in the quiet room.

"Hello?" she called. A woman lay upon the hospital bed, slightly hunched over, staring out the window. A bright white bandage covered the upper part of one arm and the wrist of her other hand. Her blond hair was slightly singed in some places, but otherwise she was physically okay.

"Hi. My name's Melinda Gordon. My husband rescued you from the fire," Melinda continued, walking towards the woman. The woman continued to stare out the window. An uncomfortable silence filled the room until the woman tore her gaze away and turned to face Melinda.

"Pamela," the woman croaked after another awkward moment. Pamela stared at Melinda listlessly, wondering what she wanted.

"I want to talk about how you got trapped in that fire," Melinda said. Pamela just looked at Melinda before she finally shrugged.

"Heard a noise. Went to investigate," Pamela mumbled but her efforts sounded feeble. Melinda narrowed her eyes suspiciously but didn't contradict the obvious lie. She rubbed her wrists, trying to hide the chafe marks.

"Look, I know someone tied you up in there and deliberately set the fire. You're not the only one he's done it to," Melinda pointed out. Pamela hunched her shoulders over further and turned back to face out the window.

"Does the name Deklan Peirce ring a bell?" Melinda asked. Pamela stiffened.

"Go," she cried. "I don't care who you are. Go. Just GO!"

Pamela shouted the last bit, as if she was terrified of the memories the name brought to mind.

Melinda spun on the spot and left the room, glancing first at Pamela hunched over, silently weeping, then at Mackenzie standing in the corner.

* * *

"I don't know," Melinda said to Jim and Delia the next day. The three were at Jim and Melinda's house, Jim having arrived home barely an hour ago, talking about Pamela and the fire at the warehouse. "I mean, the woman was clearly terrified when I went to ask her about Deklan Peirce."

"Well, you would be, too, if some man tied you up and left you to die in a burning warehouse," Delia commented. She shuddered and took a sip of her coffee. Melinda stood up and stretched.

"I'll be back in a minute," she said, kissing Jim on the lips. Melinda jogged up the stairs to the bathroom, shut the door behind her, and then crossed over to the sink. She ran the water for a moment before splashing her face with the lukewarm water. With the tap still running water, Melinda stared at her reflection in the mirror. It slowly swam in and out of focus, blurring with the reflection of the wall behind her. Melinda's hands gripped the edge of the basin, turning her knuckles white.

"Stop it," she whispered fiercely. Tilly appeared behind Melinda, stumbling around aimlessly.

"He's back," she slurred. "More in danger. No one knows where. No one can help."

Tilly stopped moving, confused. She turned her gaze on Melinda, who was struggling to stay upright.

"You can help," she insisted. Melinda looked at Tilly.

"Only..." Melinda breathed in deeply.

"Only if you stop...giving in. Fight it," she ordered the drugged ghost. Melinda fell to the floor, semi-conscious, not having the strength to fight against Tilly and stay standing.

"Can't," Tilly answered to Melinda's fallen form. She gave Melinda one last look before she disappeared, gliding straight past Mackenzie's ghostly form.

"Melinda!" Mackenzie cried. She disappeared and reappeared downstairs in front of Jim and Delia.

"Help! You gotta help! Your wife has fallen!" Mackenzie cried in distress. She tried to wave her hands in front of the two living people but stopped when she realized neither could see her. She focused on trying to lift one of the photographs of Melinda. It twitched then rose slightly. Delia stopped talking when she saw the photograph move.

"Jim, what's going on?" Delia asked in confusion. Jim looked over to where Delia was staring.

"I'm not sure," Jim answered. The photograph wobbled and fell as Mackenzie lost control. The glass smashed on the floor in a million tiny pieces.

"I'll go and get a broom," Delia suggested, wanting to get away; this was too much for her liking. Mackenzie knelt down to rearrange the shattered glass.

" _Help M... e... l..."_


	6. Chapter 6

"Help M... e... l..."

Jim looked down in horror at what he was reading.

"Melinda!" he cried, dashing out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Delia stuck her head out to watch Jim's form dash up the staircase.

"Jim? What...?" she started to ask. Jim, oblivious to Delia's calls downstairs, pushed open the bathroom door. Melinda lay on the floor, in the midst of a giant puddle of water. Jim dropped to his knees and pulled his semi-conscious wife towards him.

"Oh my God!" Delia exclaimed coming into the bathroom. "I'll go and get some towels!"

"C'mon, honey," Jim whispered to Melinda. "It's gonna be all right."

Jim cradled his wife in his arms, pulling her out of the puddle.

"Tilly was back," Melinda croaked. "She thinks someone else is in danger."

She started to sit up, now more awake. Delia arrived back, thrusting the towels at Jim. Jim handed a towel to Melinda, who wrapped it around herself. Jim deftly slipped his arms underneath Melinda, holding her close to his body.

"Jim," Melinda tried to protest but Jim ignored her and walked towards their bedroom. Delia darted in front of the couple to open the bedroom door. Jim smiled gratefully and proceeded to place his wet wife upon the bed. He quickly stripped Melinda of her wet clothes and wrapped her in a dry towel. Delia awkwardly walked back out the room.

"I'll catch you guys later," she called.

"Bye," Jim and Melinda replied.

"Don't look at me like that," Melinda said, catching sight of her husband's confounded look. She shivered and burrowed further down into the sheets and towels. Jim climbed in beside Melinda and wrapped his arms around her petite form. Melinda relaxed into Jim's embrace, content enough to just close her eyes and lay in his arms.

"Mel?" Jim whispered a while later.

"Mmm?" Melinda mumbled back. When Jim didn't answer, she opened her eyes.

"I know this might be a lot to ask..." he hesitated.

"But?" Melinda prompted.

"Promise not to get angry at me?" he asked. Melinda regarded him suspiciously.

"I want you stay away from this ghost," he said.

"Who? Mackenzie?" Melinda asked, deliberately misinterpreting the question. Jim sighed.

"Tilly. I want you stay away from Tilly. It seems like every time she's near, you end up hurt or sick or something," he said.

"That was only the one..." Melinda protested, but Jim held his hands up.

"Three times actually, but who's counting? Look, all I'm saying is please don't go looking for this ghost. I know you have a job to do, but is it possible to do it without seeing Tilly again?" Jim asked, almost pleading. Melinda opened her mouth to protest, but when she saw the look upon his face, she stopped.

"I'll try," she said, "but I'm not making any promises. Tilly is a ghost who needs my help, and I can't just turn her away. She is as much a part of this story as Mackenzie, Pamela, and Deklan are."

Melinda looked into Jim's eyes to see if he understood. Jim nodded.

"That's all I ask," he replied.

"Now, let's do something about getting you warm," he suggested, noticing Melinda had started to shiver again. Melinda grinned.

"Kinky," she teased, laying on her back. Jim grinned back and leant down to kiss Melinda.

* * *

Melinda sat at the dining room table, nursing her second cup of coffee for the day. She stared off into space as her mind wandered, memories of the past few days flashing through her mind. Mackenzie buried. The car crash. Tilly's appearances. The black braided collars. The fire. Pamela. Melinda paused at this thought. Pamela still hadn't spoken about her kidnapping and recent fire escape. Melinda was hoping that would change when she went to see her again. A noise behind Melinda brought her out of her musings.

"I wondered where you got to," Jim commented, wrapping his bare arms around Melinda.

"You were asleep, so I came downstairs so I wouldn't wake you" she explained.

"Find anything?" Jim gestured to the laptop, which, before the second coffee, Melinda had been using.

"Nope. Not unless you count that Deklan is a really big fan of horrifying deaths. I can't help but shake the feeling that the black braided collars are saying more than they aren't, though."

Melinda trailed off before looking at the clock upon the wall.

"I think I'm gonna see if Pamela has anything more to say," she suggested. She finished the last of her coffee, grabbed her keys and coat, and then turned to face Jim.

"I'll be back soon," she promised. Jim grinned and leant down to kiss his wife.

"Stay away from any ghosts," he warned, half-joking. Melinda smirked but didn't reply. Jim followed his wife outside, shivering slightly as the cool autumn breeze blew. She climbed into his blue Jeep, as hers was still at the repair shop. She beeped the horn and backed out of the driveway, driving off to see the one person who might have some answers for figuring out this murder mess.

* * *

Melinda knocked upon the door of the woman she visited barely a day ago.

"Pamela?" she asked hesitantly. Last time she was here, Pamela had forcefully told her she didn't want to talk but Melinda was hoping the woman had changed her mind. Melinda pushed the door open wider. Pamela wasn't there, but it was obvious she hadn't been admitted out yet. The door connecting to a small bathroom opened.

"What are you doing here?" Pamela asked suspiciously. "I said for you to go."

"Please, just listen to me," Melinda begged. Pamela hesitated then nodded.

"I'm listening," she said.

"Listen, I know you didn't just 'hear a noise'," Melinda began. "I know you were kidnapped."

Pamela narrowed her eyes as Melinda continued, "I also know that the man, Deklan, deliberately set the fire and left you behind, tied up. I know this because he killed two other women. But what I don't know is why."

Pamela unconsciously rubbed her wrists. She said, "So it's true, he really did kill those two other women. He boasted about it, but I didn't know whether to believe him or not. Wait, if it's true, then how did you know? He only told me when I was about to die, or thought I was about to die."

Melinda breathed in deeply. She explained, "I have a gift...I can see ghosts. That's how I know about the other two women and how I knew how to find you. Mackenzie, the first woman he killed…well, second if you count his ex-wife –"

"He killed his ex-wife? Chloe's dead?" Pamela interrupted. Her hand went to her mouth. Melinda continued on, partially oblivious to what Pamela had just said.

"Long story, but Mackenzie found you behind some of the shelves and told me. I told my husband, and he rescued you," she said. Something dawned in her mind. "You said 'Chloe's dead'. How do you know Chloe, and how did you know she was married to Deklan?"

Pamela fell silent. She slowly packed away her belongings, avoiding Melinda's face. Still not facing Melinda, she mumbled, "We went to psych class together. Chloe and Deklan were an on-and-off couple. I mean, they went out together, but it didn't stop them from seeing other people – or at least it didn't stop Chloe from seeing other people."

Melinda looked stunned. She was trying to find a connection between the different women and Deklan and Pamela may have just given it to her. She stood up.

"Listen, I have to go. I have a sneaking suspicion that someone else is about to get hurt. You take care, okay? I'll find you if I need anymore help, but thanks for everything," Melinda babbled abruptly. She stood up and waved a quick goodbye to Pamela.

"Yeah, and tell your husband 'thanks for saving me'," Pamela replied.

"I will," Melinda said. She walked out of the elevator, only to be greeted by the sight of her husband talking to someone at the receptionist desk.

"Jim!" Melinda called, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Jim finished talking and turned around. He wrapped himself around Melinda then answered, "I had some forms to fill out. I called Bobby to give me a lift since I knew you were here already. Did you find out anything more?"

Melinda nodded.

"I think I have a connection between Deklan and the women he is attempting to kill. I think they were all in the same class together at Rockland U a few years ago. Ironically the class was Psych 101," she said.

The couple began to walk down the corridor, past all the different hospital rooms. They passed a wash station, where a nurse was busily scrubbing her hands. Melinda stopped suddenly, as she caught sight of Mackenzie standing beside the woman.

"Listen," Mackenzie instructed. Melinda listened.

_Water steams by, starting with a trickle before ending in a full-on rapids. A woman stands, looking down at the moving water. She can hear the water crashing against half-submerged rocks and debris. Her hands are bound tightly behind her and a cloth stuffed into her mouth. Her captor's face looms into view, fuzzy from the lack of shaving and a none-too-clean smell. The face grins horribly._

" _Time to die, Elisha. You know it would have never worked out between us," Deklan laughs, yanking the woman by the scruff of the neck. Elisha chokes as the collar cut off her air supply. Deklan pushes the woman roughly in front of him, towards the riverbank. She looks up at Deklan with pleading eyes, but Deklan just laughs in her face. Without warning, he pushes her face-first into the water._

_Elisha feels herself sinking, her bonds making_ _in_ _it difficult to keep her head above the water. Taking a deep breath, she accidentally swallows a mouthful of water. Coughing only causes her to take in more water. She slowly loses consciousness, lungs full of water, body battered down the river to where, later, it hits a waterfall._


	7. Chapter 7

Melinda struggled against her invisible bonds, coughing loudly, as if trying to clear her lungs.

"Shh, Mel, it's only me. Melinda," Jim called to his distressed wife. Melinda's eyes cleared and her struggles ceased. She looked up into Jim's eyes, frightened.

"I drowned, or at least the woman I was did," Melinda explained. Jim guided Melinda towards a couple of nearby hospital chairs. Melinda cringed away from the sound of the running water. Jim just held her until she was ready to talk.

"Deklan had a woman bound, gagged, and standing next to the riverbank. Then he pushed her in, and she just...she just drowned," Melinda explained simply. She shuddered and sat up. "I have to call Rick."

"No," Jim replied, " _w_ _e_  are going to see Rick."

Melinda smiled at her husband, grateful.

"Thank you," she said. Together, the couple left the hospital corridor and set off towards Jim's Jeep.

* * *

Jim pulled up at Rockland U and switched off the engine. Melinda was napping in the passenger seat after losing the 'Who's driving?' fight. Truth was, the vision had left Melinda feeling exhausted – but she wasn't about to tell Jim that. Melinda awoke as the engine stopped.

"Have a nice sleep?" Jim teased, getting out of the Jeep.

"I wasn't sleeping," Melinda protested. "I was just resting my eyes."

But her words were punctuated by a wide yawn. Jim chuckled and motioned for his wife to come towards him. Arm in arm, the couple walked into Professor Rick Payne's office, where the Professor was busily trying to find his lunch.

"Hey, oh – hi," Rick greeted, once he caught sight of Melinda and Jim. "More ghost trouble?"

Melinda ignored the joke and asked, "Did you find anything more about Deklan Peirce?"

"No, but I didn't find out that Deklan, Chloe, Mackenzie, and Tilly all attended the same psych class a couple of years ago," Rick announced with a big smile.

"Way ahead of you," Melinda replied. Rick's face fell in such a comical way that Melinda couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "Is it possible to pull up a class list?"

Rick paused then said, "I guess so."

He lent down to log in to his laptop.

"By the way, has anyone seen my lunch?" he asked. Jim and Melinda unanimously shook their heads.

"No? That's okay – I'll just go without lunch. Ah ha! There you are. One class list from Psychology 101," Rick rambled.

"Looks like Chloe was first on the list," Jim read out.

"Who else does it list? Just the women," Melinda asked.

"Chloe, Mackenzie, Tilly, Pamela, and a couple of other people," he replied

"Anyone named Alicia?" Melinda asked

"You've either got Alysha or Elisha," Jim pointed out. Melinda thought for a moment.

"Wait – read out all the women again, but this time read out all their last names, too," Melinda instructed.

"Why?" Rick asked. They both ignored him.

"Chloe Becker, Mackenzie Fitzpatrick, Tilly Jacobs, Pamela Logan, Elisha Tannery, Alysha Thomas and Sara Ward...oh," Jim paused, realizing what his wife was getting at. They both looked towards Rick, who still wore a confounded look upon his face.

"We've been talking for like five minutes – you might wanna give me ten or eleven minutes before I unravel the mystery," Rick protested. Melinda rolled her eyes.

"Deklan is slowly working his way through the class list, killing off all the women alphabetically. Starting with his ex-wife," Melinda explained.

"And Elisha is next in line," Jim added.

"Oh. Too bad we don't know where he is going to take her this time," Rick pointed out. Jim and Melinda shared a look.

"We know that, too," she replied.

"Damn," Rick swore.

"What time is it?" Melinda asked her husband.

"A little before 5:30. Why?" he asked.

"Because it was close to sunset when Deklan tried to drown Elisha," Melinda explained. She turned to face the door, pausing to address the Professor. "You coming?"

"You know what? I think I'm a little tired of you using me for my brain," Rick complained. Melinda made a face.

"Ugh. If only that were possible without so much of your mouth coming with it," she joked. Rick glared her retreating back before realizing they were leaving without him.

"Hey, wait up!" he called. Catching a sight of a brown paper bag by the door, he took a step closer. "Hey look, my lunch!"

* * *

"I called Bobby and a couple of guys at the firehouse. They said they'll follow us to the river. Officer Blaire's going to meet us down there," Jim explained. He snapped Melinda's cell shut and looked over at his wife. Her fingers were white on the steering wheel.

"We're going save her," he said quietly. Melinda nodded but didn't say anything.

"Besides, after what this guy's done, I doubt anyone's gonna take pity on him," Mackenzie said. Melinda smiled at this. Jim caught the tail end of the smile.

"What?" her asked. Melinda shook her head.

"Just something Mackenzie said," she said. She swerved the car over to the side of the road.

"Are we here?" Rick asked, confused.

"Jim, you drive. Tilly's back," Melinda explained.

"You okay?" Jim asked, concerned, once they were back on the road.

"Yeah, I just didn't think I could concentrate on Tilly and keep the car upon the road," Melinda said. Her phone began to ring.

"Hello? Yeah, we're fine. Just needed to swap drivers," Melinda explained to the person on the other end of the line. "Okay. It should be just up ahead. Bye."

As Melinda ended the call, Officer Blaire's car came into view. Jim pulled up beside a couple of marked police cars and switched off the engine. Walking around to the passenger's side door, he asked his wife, "You ready, honey?" Melinda nodded and cast her mind back to her latest vision.

Jim turned to see if Rick had managed to get out of the Jeep but realized the child lock had accidentally switched on. Jim couldn't help but grin at the comical look on Rick's face. Opening the door, he looked back over to see his wife already tracking through the forest.

Jim, Rick and a few police officers took off after Melinda. A few hundred meters later, the group stopped suddenly. A twig snapped as Rick forgot to look where he was going. Fortunately the sound of the river masked any extra sound.

"Now we wait," Melinda breathed.

* * *

Elisha stood looking down at the moving water. She could hear the water crashing against half-submerged rocks and debris. Her hands were bound tightly behind her back, and a cloth was stuffed into her mouth. Beside her stood Deklan, savoring the moment. He pushed his face into Elisha's, causing her grimace from both the sight and the smell. Deklan grinned evilly.

"Time to die, Elisha. You know it would have never worked out between us," Deklan laughed, yanking the woman by the scruff of her neck. Elisha choked as the collar cut off her air supply.

* * *

"Now!" whispered Melinda. "He's gonna push her into the water."

Officer Blaire nodded and indicated for others to follow.

* * *

Deklan pushed Elisha roughly in front of him, towards the riverbank. Elisha looked up at Deklan with pleading eyes.

"Halt! Police!" Officer Blaire called, holding out her gun. Deklan hesitated then pushed Elisha into the water.

"No!" Melinda screamed, as all hell broke loose. A shot rang through the air, the bullet grazing Deklan's thigh. He stumbled, and a couple of hidden officers pounced. Jim and another paramedic dived into the water after Elisha. They dragged her to the river bank and proceeded to cut her bonds. Loud gasping could be heard from Elisha, indicating she was still alive. Jim knelt down to medically examine her.

Nearby, Melinda could hear Officer Blaire talking to Deklan.

"Deklan Peirce, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be and will be used against you..."

* * *

"So, that seems to be the end of that story then," Rick announced, once Deklan had been taken away. Unbeknownst to him, Mackenzie and Tilly still stood nearby.

"Not quite," Melinda replied. She turned to face the two ghosts, ignoring the Professor.

"Thanks for saving Elisha," Mackenzie acknowledged. "Is that light for me?"

"You're welcome, and yes. It's for both of you. It means you're both ready to cross over," Melinda said. Mackenzie walked towards the light.

"You coming?" she asked Tilly, pausing at the entry way. Tilly nodded.

"I'll meet you on the other side," she replied. Mackenzie disappeared and Tilly turned to face Melinda.

"You want to know why I was affecting you so much," Tilly guessed. Melinda nodded, stunned.

"You probably guessed, but I was drugged. Deklan kept me drugged to the point where I was aware but couldn't do anything to prevent it. Also, I was pregnant. You've probably been experiencing my morning sickness," Tilly explained. Melinda looked down at Tilly's flat stomach.

"Oh," she mumbled unintelligibly. Tilly spun on the spot and walked towards where Mackenzie disappeared.

"Sorry for everything," she apologized and followed Mackenzie into the light, leaving Melinda watching, feeling slightly confused.


	8. Chapter 8

A knock at the door roused Melinda from her laptop. She peered through the curtains before opening the front door.

"Hi," Melinda greeted the woman on the porch.

"Can I come in?" Elisha asked.

"Sure. Let me just go and get my husband. You're welcome to sit down," Melinda suggested. She turned around only to come face to face with Chloe.

"Give me a minute," she mouthed to the ghost. She jogged upstairs to where Jim was busy getting dressed.

"We have company downstairs," she announced.

"Living or dead?" Jim answered seriously. He hadn't heard the doorbell ring but didn't know if it had while he was in the shower. Melinda grinned cheekily.

"One of each," she answered, walking back out of the bedroom. Jim rolled his eyes and followed his wife downstairs.

"Hi," Jim greeted the living newcomer. "Elisha, right?"

"Yes," Elisha said, looking uncomfortable. She hadn't wanted to move, just in case they didn't want to talk.

"Please, come sit," Jim said, indicating the couches in the living room. Elisha sat gratefully.

"I just wanted to say thanks you for saving my life. I'd probably be dead if you hadn't jumped into the river to save me," she said.

"It was nothing – I was just doing my job," Jim replied modestly. Melinda caught a movement in the kitchen. She silently walked over, catching Jim's eye in the process. Jim recognized the look upon his wife's face. He gave a small nod to show he understood.

"Do you see a light yet?" Melinda whispered abruptly. Chloe shook her head.

"I have something to confess," she announced. "I was the one who gave Deklan the idea of the braided collars. My ancestors followed that particular tradition centuries ago, and the stories were passed down, generation to generation. He was really fascinated by the braided collars and the death status. We did heaps of research, but Deklan was always one for experimenting. He wanted to kidnap someone to test out of the theories we had, but I was against it from the very start. I realized what he had become and got out of there as fast as I could."

She laughed loudly before continuing, "I should have know he would come after me, but I was too naïve. I met someone a few days later and we were coming home from a movie. That's when I saw his car following us..."

" _'Nobody move! Dropped me brain.'" Nikolas quoted from_ Pirates Of The Caribbean: At Worlds End _. We both laughed._

" _Thanks for the movie. I really enjoyed it," I said. I smiled up at him then flipped down the sun visor, where I could see my reflection. The movement of a car behind me caught my attention. Adjusting the mirror, I focused it so I could see car behind me without catching any unwanted attention from Nikolas._

_'What are you playing at_ , _Deklan?' I though to myself. Deklan's car drew closer to Nikolas's , to the point a person would have trouble fitting between the two._

" _What the...?" Nikolas cursed. Deklan drew back then forward again. "It's only forty along here, buddy!"_

_Nikolas sped up_ , _but Deklan was right behind him. Nikolas looked at the road in front of him, then back at the rear view mirror. The car was gone, only to have pulled up beside us. I looked over into my ex-husband's eyes. There was no trace of the person I knew left. In the next second, Deklan pulled in front of our car._

"I remember hearing the thud of the car hitting the tree, then seeing Nikolas crying over my body. That's when I realized I was dead," Chloe finished.

"I'm sorry," Melinda apologized.

"It's okay. At least now I can move on from Deklan, or at least for a little bit," Chloe said. She glided over towards the window.

"You know, I always wanted to know what it was like to die," she commented ironically. She turned to face Melinda again. "Thank you again, for saving those two girls. I guess I have to apologize to them when I get to the other side."

"I'm sure they'll forgive you," Melinda replied. Chloe waved and then disappeared, ready to embrace the other side of the light. Arms wrapped around Melinda's petite waist and a strong chest supported her back. She smiled.

"Hello," Jim said, breathing in the smell of Melinda's shampoo.

"Hello. So, finally a night free of ghosts and emergencies. What shall we do now?" Jim mused.

Melinda thought for a moment.

"I know," she whispered seductively. Melinda took off up the stairs with Jim hot on her tail. Melinda giggled as Jim gently tackled her to the bed. Jim kissed his wife passionately on the lips. Coming up for air, Melinda looked deep into her husband's eyes.

"You know what, Mr. Clancy? You make me very happy," she commented. Jim grinned and continued to trail kisses down Melinda's body.

* * *

The couple lay in bed, Melinda, with her head upon Jim's naked chest and Jim's arm around her body. A thumping could be heard from the landing. Melinda looked up at Jim as he slipped on his boxers while she wrapped herself in the bed sheet. Together, they silently opened the bedroom door. Melinda laughed.

"Is that supposed to do that?" Jim asked, seeing a tennis ball seemingly bounce up and down by itself.

"Homer's back," Melinda explained. She turned to her husband, grinning. "So much for our night without ghosts."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sitting through my first attempts at multi-chapter fics. I'm kinda proud of this one as I'd reached over 10K words (which I know isn't a lot, but for someone who used to hate writing, it was a lot!)

**Author's Note:**

> This was one of my very first multi-chapter fics I ever posted. Originally posted in 2009.


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